Guy Garrick

high-powered microscope, making innumerable micro-photographs, w

ng with years into a stately woman-a pronounced brunette, with sparkling black eyes. I had

I realized that it was the eyes,

ring voice which, I felt, masked a woman who would fig

nslow. A friend of mine, Mr. Warrington, has told me that you are

f the room. There she sat, looking up at him earnestly, a dainty contrast to the

hat you have asked, Miss Winslow," he replied. "Is

thought that perhaps she might have come to as

ry much in earnest, as she opened her handbag and

ail to-day. I don't know what to make of it. It worries me to get such a

nticing beauty. There was something so simple and sincere about Violet Winslow that one felt instinctively that nothing was too great a price

rk showed that it had been mailed early that morning at the general post of

The writing was in a bold

to which that car has been put, but you will learn more shortly. Meanwhile, let me inform you that he and some of the wilder of his set had that night planned a visit to a gambling house on Forty-eighth Street. I myself saw the car standing before another gambling den on Forty-seventh Street about the same time. This place, I may as well inform you, bears an unsa

and was signed merely with the words, "A Well-

nd before he could speak, "I know there is something back

dent that the "well-wisher" need not have s

rom her tone the newspapers had not been wholly

ain how I got the letter," she went on wistfully. "I

t for his income on the rent that comes in from such places. But-but I wish just the same that it wasn't true. I tried to cal

st as though afraid to b

me?" asked Garrick, stil

t I brought it for. I thought it was o

t, I feel sure that you need have no cause to worry about the insinuations of this letter. Don't judge harshly until you have heard his side. There

, after all, I don't care so much about it myself-but, you know, my aunt-is so dreadfully prim and

ntended to say as much as that. But having once said it

you even hint to him that that

ing beside her, looking down ea

you all-yet. But I can promise you that even if all were told-the truth, I mean-your

he looked up into his face, and with suppres

of her skirts, she turned a

was telephoning anxiously all over the city in

, though his face clouded as his eye fell again on the blackmailing letter, lying before him. "It might make him think

find Warrington in any of his usual hau

, half an hour later, Warrington himself burst in o

ick handed hi

face, then slapped it down on the table before Guy, in

one to the othe

ing in disgust, "And to do it in such an underhand way, writing to a girl like Violet, and never giving me a chanc

e rage. Garrick, however, ignored his anger as natural un

o-day that the property in that neighborhood was owned by our estate. I have been in that joint on Forty-eighth Street-I'll admit that. But, you know, I'm no gambler. I've gone simply to see the life, and-well, i

began, I have read a lot about landlords. Then, too," he interjected with a mock wry face, "I knew that Violet's Aunt Emma had been a crus

arrick, respecting th

character of the tenants, and the uses to which they put the properties. The police have compiled a list of all the questionable places in the city and I have compared it with

ame is. It may be that it is someone who has tried and failed to get your tenant to come across with gr

e was speaking, he had taken a toothpick and was running it hastily over the word

the windows and pulled down the dark shades. Then he

curious box-like arrangement on it, in which was a powerful light. For several minutes, he occupied

n the machine, switched on the light and immediately on

ctive of my acquaintance," explained Garrick. "In s

ith a pointer, much as he had a

of the nerves or heart often betray the fact in their handwriting. Of course, in cases where the disease has progressed very far it

a sort of sphygmograph, registering the pulsations. I think you can readily see that when the wri

er as it went over the lines and I began t

th a tooth-pick and, more accurately, by enlarging and studying it with the rayograph, is suffering from a peculiar c

ting, then added, thoug

warn him

b or of a good pair of fists," growled Warrington,

e knows something about the gambling joint, perhaps is one of the regular habitues of the place. That was why I didn't want you to take any steps to cl

Forbes and the other fellows, but as I told

"you are sufficiently known

at the door will let me in-and a couple

coming in. Suppose you meet us, Warrington, about half past ten or so. We can get in. They don't know anything yet about your intention to cancel t

rrington, "I will meet

call it, at that time

ffect him in ways that he doesn't suspect. Oh, well, there is nothing we can do for the present. I'll just add this clew of the handwriting to the clew of the automobile tires against the day when we get-pshaw!-he has taken the lett